Unimodel 1/72 DT-45 Armored Self-Propelled Railroad Car Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

The Soviet Army employed a wide range of combat vehicles to defend their nation from the advancing German armies. Since roads were limited and quite seasonal, one of the key lines of communication were the railways and one way to conduct rapid armed reconnaissance was to put an armored car on the rails. While some armored cars were adapted to run on the rails, a number of purpose-built armored vehicles were produced for railway operations.

One such vehicle was the DT-45, a two-axeled armored car that had an armored hull to protect everything including the power train. Only the lower edges of the wheels portruded out of the hull. The DT-45 was self-propelled and featured a small turret with cannon to conduct offensive operations against German infantry and soft-skinned vehicles.

The kit is molded in medium green styrene and presented on two trees of parts. In addition, a small fret of photo-etched parts that provide the finer details is included.

Assembly of the kit appears to be straightforward since this was a simple armored car with little detail outside the hull. The road wheels are installed in the lower hull and the hull halves go together. The turret goes atop the assembled hull, and the vehicle can be placed onto the included track section. The HF towel rack antennas, end bumpers, and couplers round out the exterior detailing.

A nice set of generic markings is included with this kit.

This is a nice little kit that will build into a unique subject with a little patience and skill. The AMS modeler will have fun with this project and have a unique air defender for the effort.

My sincere thanks to HobbyTerra for this review sample!